Hawaiian Airlines announced a $150,000 gift to Bishop Museum to support of its mission to preserve the heritage and culture of Hawaii.

The gift, in celebration of Hawaiian’s 80th anniversary of service, is a combination of cash and in-kind transportation in support of museum programs from 2009 to 2011. Bishop Museum will use the donation for its educational and collections care programs, including the transporting of curators and educators to schools and communities on the Neighbor Islands.
“This gift is a breath of fresh air as we continue to face economic challenges. We are very grateful to Hawaiian Airlines for its generosity, as this will ensure the continuation of our science and cultural educational programs to schools on the Neighbor Islands,” said Timothy Johns, president and chief executive officer of Bishop Museum.
Collection items that are loaned to other museums or historic artifacts in need of analysis will also be transported aboard Hawaiian. One of the first artifacts being transported is a wax-type phonograph owned by King David KalÇkaua, which is believed to hold a personal message he recorded for his people in 1891. The wax cylinder will soon be transported to California where a specialist will attempt to recover the recording of the King’s voice from the cylinder.